AUGUSTA — Gov. Janet Mills revealed specific updates to the state’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution plans.
During a Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention briefing on Wednesday, Mills announced that she’s consulted with Maine CDC and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to make changes to the vaccine rollout plans.
“In addition to healthcare personnel, such as doctors, nurses, other healthcare professionals, EMTs and staff and employees at long-term care facilities, that now includes firefighters, police and law enforcement, corrections officers, and critical COVID-19 response personnel,” Mills said.
She said Phase 1A will be completed at the beginning of February.
“We’re updating Phase 1B to include older Maine people, beginning with those who are 70 and older and adults with high risk medical conditions and we hope to move into Phase 1B this month,” Mills said.
She said Phase 1B is scheduled to be completed by April.
She explained they’re making these the changes because Maine has a larger proportion of older people and people with underlying serious conditions compared to other states.
She added these changes are based off of the vaccine supply the state estimates to have.
“Additional information for those people 70 and older will be available the week of January 18. Not too far off. For now please continue to be patient and take every precaution as I know most of you have been doing,” Mills said.
